The Big Data Guide to Star Wars Vehicles

One of the many high points in Disney’s Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens movie was the return of several classic ships and other vehicles from the original trilogy, as well as the introduction of innovative, new types of vehicles. With all the advanced technology on these ships, one can’t help but wonder what kind of big data software and analytics they would be using for threat assessment and prediction, mission planning, and enemy ship tracking and identification.

Take a look at some of the main vehicles in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and discover how big data could have been used by both sides in their quest to gain control of the galaxy.

Vehicles

Millennium Falcon: The Millennium Falcon, a Corellian YT-1300 light freighter used by Han Solo and Chewbacca during the Galactic Civil War, is the most iconic vehicle in The Force Awakens. Despite its massive size, the ship can easily maneuver during dogfights through tight places. It’s famous for its hyperdrive, which made this ship the “fastest ship in the galaxy.” The freighter includes smuggling compartments that are sensor-proof. The Millennium Falcon could use the MapR Converged Data Platform for real-time, on-board data processing in order to monitor the health of the spaceship, track routes, monitor the flight paths of First Order ships, and perform automatic target recognition.

Rey’s Speeder bike: Speeder bikes, featured in many Star Wars action sequences, were open-air repulsorlift vehicles that emphasized speed and maneuverability over stability. They require a lot of skill and fast reflexes in order to properly fly them. Rey’s speeder bike resembles a landspeeder that is turned on its side. She uses it to hover across the massive land masses on the planet Jakku. If she used sensor data and the MapR Converged Data platform, her small windshield could be used to display speed, fuel, maps, equipment health, and locations of other friendly or unfriendly vehicles in the area.

Luggabeast: The semi-mechanical creature resembles a tiny Imperial Walker. These cybernetic beasts features large sides, which make them ideal for transporting goods. Their heads are hiding behind heavy armor plates and many optical instruments. A Luggabeast was used by the scavenger Teedo on the dessert world of Jakku. The Luggabeast could use the MapR Converged Data platform to provide real-time data on weather, locations of potential items to scavenge, and route optimization.

Assault Walker: This vehicle is manned by a single driver who is able to quickly move the vehicle’s legs during attacks and inflict damage. The Force Awakens features a new biped called the First Order Assault Walker, which features “toes” that can be used to maneuver on top of challenging terrains such as wood or ice. Its front armor deflects enemy fire, and boasts three canons on the front. The sensor data from this biped could be sent back to the First Order to provide them with information on its health, as well as visual data which could be used to modify battlefield strategy.

First Order Snowspeeder: The First Order deploys these fast, maneuverable, wedge-shaped gunboats for combat in frigid climates. These gunboats can hold three snowtroopers, one of whom could control the blaster cannon which is mounted on the front. Data could be sent back to the First Order to give them real-time battle information.

First Order TIE fighters: The TIE Fighter is the ship of choice in the Empire’s army, and was used in dogfights with Rebel X-wings. However, the TIE fighter’s flawed design makes it an easy target, and it lacks appropriate armor. It can be easily maneuvered in tight spaces, and can be used in hundreds of pairs as they work to overwhelm the enemy. Sensor data could be analyzed to enable real-time adjustments to any damage and reduce downtime.

Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle: This menacing looking Upsilon-class command shuttle looks like a giant bird of prey, and was used by Kylo Ren. It was equipped with a loading ramp and retractable stabilizers, and was powered by two ion engines. The upper wings have a large bank of sensors that scan for enemies, while the lower wings contain jammers and shields. Real-time data could be analyzed to provide Kylo Ren with information on shuttle health as well as enemy locations.

Star Destroyer: These dagger-shaped ships were used by the Galactic Republic, the Empire, and the First Order. It’s the largest vehicle in the galaxy, and it can carry a massive amount of troops, equipment and weapons. It features energy shields and armor, and has a large battery of cannons. The Super Star Destroyer has a command tower at the aft, topped by two geodesic communication and deflection domes. The Resistance could use the MapR Converged Data Platform to monitor the location of the Star Destroyer and perform real-time battle strategy analysis as well as to optimize the thousands of different services onboard.

Starfighters: Starfighters were small, maneuverable ships that were the top choice for Resistance fighter pilots. Their sleek shape made it easy to handle in aerial dogfights. The X-wing Starfighter was armed with four laser cannons and two proton torpedo launchers. It has a hyperdrive that enables it to make long-range jumps. Luke Skywalker famously destroyed the Death Star while piloting an X-wing Starfighter. He could have using MapR Streams to process billions of events per second for real-time battle analysis.

In the end, it isn’t enough to use battleships, blasters, and light sabers to win the battle against the Dark Side. The ultimate weapon that the Resistance could have used is the data that they amassed about both their organization and the First Order. By using the MapR Converged Data Platform and MapR Streams, they would have been able to continuously collect, analyze, and act on streaming data, meaning that the Resistance would have been able to defeat the First Order in a much quicker, more efficient, and cost-effective manner.

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James A. Scott (prefers to go by Jim) is Director, Enterprise Strategy & Architecture at MapR Technologies and is very active in the Hadoop community. Jim helped build the Hadoop community in Chicago as cofounder of the Chicago Hadoop Users Group. He has implemented Hadoop at three different companies, supporting a variety of enterprise use cases from managing Points of Interest for mapping applications, to Online Transactional Processing in advertising, as well as full data center monitoring and general data processing. Jim also was the SVP of Information Technology and Operations at SPINS, the leading provider of retail consumer insights, analytics reporting and consulting services for the Natural and Organic Products industry. Additionally, Jim served as Lead Engineer/Architect for Conversant (formerly Dotomi), one of the world's largest and most diversified digital marketing companies, and also held software architect positions at several companies including Aircell, NAVTEQ, and Dow Chemical. Jim speaks at many industry events around the world on big data technologies and enterprise architecture. When he's not solving business problems with technology, Jim enjoys cooking, watching-and-quoting movies and spending time with his wife and kids. Jim is on Twitter as @kingmesal.